


Low Lights

by bakecity



Category: Long Exposure (Webcomic)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Medieval, M/M, anyways it's the medieval au, i guess??, this is all new for me
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-29
Updated: 2019-04-04
Packaged: 2019-12-26 04:12:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18275546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bakecity/pseuds/bakecity
Summary: Prince Jonas is gearing up for another mundane, regular day of studying, staying out of Dean's way, and trying to work out what's going on with the magic powers he's developed.All of this is, of course, ruined once Someone decides to break into the castle.It's a medieval/fantasy AU, babey!





	1. In Which We Meet the Prince and the Thief

**Author's Note:**

> This is my very first attempt at posting a fanfic like,, ever. So please be gentle!  
> Inspired by @marsoid's wonderful comic Long Exposure (please god read it. it's the bee's knees) and also by the medieval AU that they posted (i believe it was through patreon, if anyone was curious).  
> Anyways, chapter one of,, a few. I've got a vague outline and not much else. Woo!

Jonas sighed, smoothing out the fabric of his tunic as he crossed the room, resting against the large window pane. He stared out the window, lips pursed. It was a lovely day; the sun was shining brightly, the wind moving the trees to sway softly along with the tall grass in the fields. It was beautiful.  
There wasn't any chance he'd be able to experience it for himself, but it was still beautiful.  
He wasn't really allowed to leave the castle; Dean had been sure to let him know of it. 

"If you're going to be king someday," he had said, a little bit of a bite in his voice as he implied that _Jonas_ would maybe be _king_ , "You have to be ready. You won't be ready if you spend your days fooling around outside. You have _responsibilities_."  
Jonas rolled his eyes as he recalled the conversation. He supposed Dean was right. Annoying, and pretty rude, but right nonetheless. 

On the plus side, staying inside meant he had more time to figure out what was going on with _this_.  
He held his hand out, smiling slightly as a band of yellow light materialized around it. He spun it through his fingers, before closing his fist and extinguishing it.  
His magic had manifested only a few months before hand. He had no idea how it had come to him, or what its purpose was. It just... was.  
He'd spent countless days in the library, digging through every book on ancient arcana that he could get his hands on. He hadn't found anything yet, but he wasn't giving up.  
He moved away from the window, grabbing his cloak and slinging it around his shoulders,fastening it tight, before heading out of his chambers. He sighed softly as he began his descent, taking care not to miss a step on the seemingly endless staircase.  
It had become so quiet with Sidney gone. Well, not gone, but gone more often.  
Dean had tasked her with helping Sue with the children in the orphanage, and it was going... Well. As well as it could. 

"All I want is to be a knight," Sidney had said, standing up on the bed and striking a valiant pose, eyes glinting with confidence as she grinned.  
Jonas couldn't help but laugh.  
"I'm serious!" His twin huffed, hopping down from the bed. "I'd be amazing at it, too. Just picture me now; I'd be in a sharp suit of armor, saving a princess of my own, running off with her into the sunset."  
"I think you're just a romantic."  
"Shut up!"  
She shoved him then, the smile never leaving her face. 

He missed Sidney. A lot.  
He continued his descent, before finally reaching his destination. He pushed the heavy wooden doors open carefully, trying to make as little nosie as possible. He smiled and inhaled a deep breath as he walked in, exhaling in a long, breathy sigh. It wasn't better than being outside, maybe, but it was still nice. He settled into his normal spot, gazing over his stack of texts. He picked up a particularly heavy (and dusty) volume, and began thumbing through the old, yellowed pages, sinking into the text with a small smile on his face. 

Just a regular, calm day.

 

Mitchell Mueller was _tired_. Not your regular heavy-lidded, could-maybe-go-for-a-nap-right-now tired. This tired, this exhaustion, sank heavily into his bones. He felt it in his limbs when he moved, and the dull ache behind his eyes quietly reminded him that 'hey, maybe we should sleep sometime here soon'. This reminder was routinely ignored.  
He stretched his tired limbs, huffing as he lifted himself to his feet.  
This profession never offered time off, and it was time to get started.  
He lifted his mask over his face, only amber eyes visible, and began stalking down the street.  
For such a tall and otherwise noticeable man, he proceeded through the back alleys of the kingdom almost silently. Years of practice, he guessed.  
He hoisted himself up and over a wall, using whatever he could to leverage himself up onto the roof, teeth gritted. Once above, he crouched, lips pursed as he surveyed the kingdom. He needed this score to be good.  
His eyes landed on the castle, narrowing as he considered.  
It would be... incredibly risky. Too risky. Why-would-you-even-consider-this-just-rob-a-regular-place-you-dumbass risky. The type of risky that would land him in a prison for the rest of his miserable life.  
On the other hand, it was the type of risky that, if done correctly, could be the very last score he ever needed.  
He grinned, letting out a low chuckle.

"S'why I gotta do it."

He stood, grinning as he took to a run, launching himself off of this roof and onto another, effortlessly making his way across the town to his target. 

 

Jonas's eyes snapped open, startled out of his slumber by a loud 'crash' that echoed through the library. He rubbed his eyes, before squinting, eyes adjusting to the low light of the candle-lit library. What time was it? How long exactly had he been asleep?  
He yawned, rising to his feet, before crossing the room to grab a candle, holding its wick against one already lit. He rubbed his face, eyes still heavy with sleep as he turned to exit the room, when he heard something.  
He whipped around, all trace of sleep gone as his eyes widened, narrowing just as quickly as he scanned the room. He frowned, green light nervously dancing around his clenched fist as he stared into the dark corner of the library. 

"H-Hello?"

Silence followed.  
He felt something in the pit of his stomach that urged him to 'please, please turn around, please leave and just go to sleep,' but he ignored it.  
He took several hesitant steps towards the back of the library, the green light starting to grow around him. 

"Who's there?"

He felt a chill run up his spine as he felt something- someone- grab his arm.  
The scream he let out was louder than any he'd ever let out before. In a flash, he had wheeled around and slammed his glowing fist into whatever- whoever- had grabbed him.  
He scrambled back, candle falling out of his hand and onto the ground, back hitting the table as he pushed backwards.  
He stared hard at the collapsed figure on the ground, chest heaving with panicked breaths.  
The man was unconscious, much to Jonas's relief, and he let out a lengthy sigh. Thank the gods.  
He whipped his head up as the library doors were thrown open, guards pouring into the room.

"Sir Jonas, what's happened? Are you alright?"

He nodded, struggling to get the words out of his dry mouth, rasping out a reply.  
"Y-Yes, someone just... Someone broke into the library. I-I think I... I think I knocked him out."

The guard scoffed, helping his cohorts lift the man. His head lolled to the side.  
"Serves him right. We'll be taking him to the dungeon. You probably ought to talk to the king about what happened."  
He gave Jonas a comforting smile. "As for now, though, get some rest. Sort through the rest in the morning."

Jonas nodded, sighing. "Yeah. Yeah, sounds good."

He trudged up the stairs to his room, holding up a glowing hand to guide him. He sighed.  
Who was that man? Why did he break into his library?  
He sighed once more, pushing open the door to his chambers. He had so many questions, so much he wanted to know. 

So much for his regular, calm day.


	2. In Which Our Prince Is Too Trusting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our prince and our thief become more acquainted. Mitch has an idea; Jonas makes a questionable choice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi again everyone! This is chapter two of too many probably.   
> I'm really excited still about writing this?? This is the first writing project I've had a plan for and also felt like,, mildly confident about so. It's exciting!
> 
> Comment or leave kudos if you enjoyed!! Thank you!! ;;w;;!

Mitch groaned, blinking hard as he tried to focus. What the fuck had _happened_?   
One second, he'd been in that dingy, dark library. The next, he'd gotten the absolute _shit_ knocked out of him by what was probably the softest boy he'd ever seen.   
The thought made him knit his eyebrows together. What business did someone that soft have throwing a punch that _hard_? And what was going on with those lights? 

"Oh, wonderful. You're awake."

He blinked, sitting up, squinting with a scowl at the guard who addressed him.   
"Where the fuck am I?"

The guard snorted. "The dungeon. Obviously." He shifted, arching an eyebrow at him.   
"You broke into a library and got your lights punched out by the prince. That's gotta be embarrassing."

Mitch glowered, baring his teeth as he scowled. He was trying his best to be intimidating, and much to his delight, it worked. The guard looked away, working his way to the other side of the cold, dark dungeon, trying very hard to avoid making eye contact.   
_Good,_ Mitch thought. _Even from in this shithole I've still got an edge._

 

Jonas paced the length of his room, chewing on his bottom lip. He kept replaying the events from the previous night over and over in his head. Had he really managed to knock someone out with his powers? His _magic_? And who _was_ that guy? Why had he broken into the library of all places?   
He stopped, eyebrows knitting together as he thought. He was horribly curious; he wanted to talk to this stranger.   
He made his way down the stairs, his voyage taking him even farther down than the library. He pushed open the door to the dungeon, eyes adjusting to the low light of the room. 

"Prince Jonas!"

Jonas smiled, offering a small bow in return to the guard.   
"Hi there."

He turned, looking at the row of cells lining the walls.  
"Would you be able to show me where that man from.. you know. Could you show me where he is?"

The guard shifted, eyes darting across the room nervously.  
"All due respect, I don't think that's a very good idea."

Jonas smiled, trying his best to paint his voice in a soft, questioning tone.   
"All I want to do is ask him some questions. Figure out why he was there." He held up a hand. "Afterwards, I promise I'll leave."

The guard nodded, leading him down the corridor to the cell.   
"Right here, sir. I'll be just over there if you need anything."

Jonas nodded in thanks, watching the guard leave before focusing in on the man in the cell.   
The man was... tall. That was the first thing that Jonas noticed about him. Very tall with long, spindley limbs. 

"It's you." 

Jonas blinked, raising his eyebrows.   
"Me?"

Mitch shifted, sitting with his legs crossed, looking up at him. His eyes were narrow, piercing. It made Jonas nervous.  
"Yeah. Yer the one that punched the fuck outta me."  
He chuckled, low and dry. "I mean, even though it's fuckin' annoying to be in this shit hole, I gotta say I'm a little impressed. You sure got an arm on ya."   
Mitch raised an eyebrow at him, a smirk growing on his face. "An' I'm sure whatever magic you got helped, too."

Jonas hissed, eyes going wide as he scanned the dungeon.   
No one had heard, no one had noticed.   
He frowned at the man in the cell, eyebrows drawn tightly together.   
"Be quiet!"

Mitch chuckled, a toothy grin spreading across his face. God, this prince was... well, he was cute when he was angry. It was almost endearing.   
"Relax, Spots. No one gives a shit what we're talkin' about." 

Jonas blinked, raising an eyebrow. "Spots?"

Mitch snorted. "Yeah, Spots. You got all those freckles, an' I don't know what else to call ya. Maybe 'Yer Highness' or something, if that's what yer into."

"It's Jonas. Please, don't call me 'Your Highness.'"

Mitch grinned, nodding. "Alright, Jonas. I can do that, I guess."

Jonas nodded appreciatively.   
"And what do I call you?

"Name's Mitch." 

"Well, hello Mitch."

Jonas smiled, and Mitch felt _something_ in the pit of his stomach. This prince wasn't just cute when he was angry. Shit. 

Jonas looked at the man for a minute. Though he was spindley and lanky, his arms were toned and defined. He was all sharp angles, but there were some soft spots and-  
Oh. Jonas quickly dropped his eyes, clearing his throat. He wasn't really in the market to get caught _staring_ at a _thief_ in the castle _dungeon_. 

"Anyways. I have some questions." 

Mitch raised an eyebrow, head propped on his hand.   
"I'm all ears, Spots."

"Jonas. Anyways." He looked at him, arching an eyebrow. "Of all places to break into, why choose the library?"

Mitch snorted. "It's not like they've got the place labeled from the outside, y'know. Didn't know I was breakin' into a library."

Jonas pursed his lips. "I suppose that makes sense."   
He stared at him again, eyebrows knitting together again. "But why the castle? I mean. I guess I get _why_ but... I guess my question is if it was worth it?"

Mitch snorted again. "Well obviously not. I'm here, not out there an' filthy fuckin' rich." 

Jonas laughed, and Mitch felt that same feeling in the pit of his stomach. _Un-fuckin'-believable,_ he thought. 

"Well, yeah. That checks out." 

Jonas pursed his lips once more. There was something... compelling about this man. He was charming in the strangest, weirdest way. Thinking about him being stuck here was, well... kind of sad.   
He shook himself from the thought. _Jonas, this man broke into your castle, your_ home _. Please._

"Well, I suppose what happens next is up to my father, but. Thanks, I guess, for answering my questions." 

He smiled, turning to walk away, letting out a soft sigh as he went to walk away. 

"Wait!" 

Jonas blinked, turning on his heels, looking back into the cell.   
"What?"

"What if there was a way that we could, y'know, help each other out?"

Jonas arched an eyebrow. "How do you figure we'd do that?"

Mitch gave him another toothy grin, shrugging. "Well, I know a guy. Real smart, knows a lot of magic stuff. May be able to help you out with whatcha got goin' on there." He shrugged once more. "If you were lookin' to do more than just punch people with that shit."

Jonas knit his eyebrows together. "And the catch is... I have to let you go."

Mitch grinned, clicking his tongue. "Bingo."

Jonas stared at him hard. This was... kind of insane. It would be absolutely nuts to let this guy go, right? Especially after he had attempted to rob them.   
But also. There was only so much that the old books in the library could teach him. He'd spent countless days poring over texts, trying his best to figure out something, anything, that could help him harness his power, with almost no progress as a result. This could be what he needed to gain extra understanding. 

"Give me some time to think on it." 

Mitch frowned. "How much time are we talkin', Spots?"

" _Jonas_ , and... I don't know. I'll let you know." 

 

Mitch wasn't sure how much time had passed. It was frustrating.   
He'd known it'd be a long-shot, trying something like that. Especially when he didn't know a single goddamn wizard, magic man, whatever you call it.   
He had one priority, and that was getting out of this dungeon.

"Psst! Mitch!"

His head whipped up, eyes going wide. Was that...?

"Jonas?"

He saw Jonas's face lit in the soft glow of his hand, and he couldn't help but smile. He couldn't decide on what was prettier: Jonas or his magic. 

"Who else?" He fiddled with a ring of keys, looking for the right one.

"Holy shit, how'd you get _those_?"

Jonas grinned sheepishly, shoulders drawing up. "I may have... possibly, accidentally... punched out the guard?"

Mitch threw his head back and laughed. "Impressive, if I do say so myself."

The cell door swung open with a low creak, and Jonas smiled.   
"Well, if you're ready, we probably ought to go. It's dark so most everyone is going to be asleep, and I know the guard rotations."

Mitch rose to his feet, smirking down at the prince. "Well, look at you. So trusting."

Jonas rolled his eyes, still smiling. "Hush."   
He shrugged, looking to the other side of the dungeon.   
"I don't really get to leave, or do, well... anything. I don't know about my magic, and I want to." He looked up at the taller man, mouth curving into a smirk. "And I guess I just felt bad for you."

Mitch laughed again, elbowing him gently. "Well, I'm touched. Let's go."  
The two made their way from the dungeon, navigating the corridors and stairwells of the castle until they were finally free. 

Jonas stood still, eyes closed as he let the cool night air roll over his skin. This was it. 

 

It was time to go.


	3. what could possibly go wrong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Neil is sent on a fetch quest.  
> Jonas and Mitch get to know each other.  
> Strangers in the woods???

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> title for this chapter is definitely pending??? I had no idea what to title it. (mostly because it's 1am and i'm.. tired)  
> But eeeesh this chapter was. a little difficult.  
> BUT here it is!! I'm really excited about what's coming up next!!

Neil Beckham was the best knight that the kingdom had to offer. He had been hand-picked by the king himself, entrusted with protecting the kingdom and her interests.  
He was _important_. And he wasn't about to let anyone forget it. 

However. This assignment felt patronizing. He frowned deeply as he rode along the path, letting out a huff. He was too important, too _valuable_ to be playing fetch with their pathetic excuse for a prince. 

The king had almost had an aneurysm when he realized that one: the prince had vanished, and two: the prisoner had escaped. Naturally, the king had feared the worst; the thief had managed to escape the dungeon and had taken the prince for ransom.  
"It figures he'd try to still get money in _some_ fashion," the king had muttered, a scowl painted on his face. "Track them down. Bring my son back."  
"And the thief?"  
Dean's expression was that of stone. "It doesn't matter what happens to him. Bring him back, leave him there. It makes no difference."

So, there Neil was. Playing fetch for the king. 

 

Mitch walked up the path, minding his steps so he wouldn't trip over the brush obstructing the path.  
He raised an eyebrow, glancing behind him as he heard Jonas grunt, a smirk creeping across his face.

"Are you _sure_ you know where we're going?"

He snickered. "'Course I do, Spots. You gotta trust me."

"It's _Jonas _."__

__"Whatever."_ _

__The two fell back into silence, making their way through the forest.  
Mitch focused on the path ahead, holding branches back so the prince could make his way through.  
It was a lovely morning; the sun had started rising roughly an hour ago, and the morning light began to shine its way through the thick leaves of the trees. Through the sounds of birds singing and leaves rustling, he could hear the sounds of the dirt crunching beneath their- wait, just his feet now. When had Jonas fallen behind? He blinked, turning his head to look back at the prince. 

__The scene nearly made his stomach melt to mush._ _

__Jonas had stopped, crouching on the side of the path, smiling as he examined the blossoms growing there. He traced their delicate petals with his fingers, the yellow light of his magic slowly enveloping him.  
Mitch had never seen anything so beautiful. _ _

__Jonas blinked, finally noticing he was being watched, lights fizzling out as he quickly stood to his feet. He smiled sheepishly, his face a deep red._ _

__"Sorry, I just, uh... I wanted to look at the flowers."_ _

__Mitch snapped his mouth shut (how long had it been hanging open??), shaking his head, mouth curving into a smile.  
"It's no problem, Joey. Just- Just wanted to make sure I hadn't lost ya." _ _

__Jonas smiled, closing the distance between them. "Nope, still right here."_ _

__The two started walking once more, and Mitch was racking his brain to try to find something, _/anything/_ to talk about. _ _

__"So, uh... y'like flowers, huh?"  
Instinctively, he pinched the bridge of his nose, fighting back an annoyed sigh. _'Flowers? That's the_ best _you could do??'__ _

__To his surprise though, Jonas just nodded. "I do, they're really nice." He chuckled. "I always forget how _soft_ they are." _ _

__Mitch blinked. "You really don't get out much, huh?"_ _

__Jonas laughed dryly, rolling his eyes. "That's an understatement."_ _

__He shrugged, eyes turning to the ground. "I was told I needed to study, to focus on how best to serve the kingdom when it was my time." He sighed. "It's... not ideal, but I guess it's alright-"_ _

__"But is that what you wanna do?"_ _

__Jonas blinked, his expression puzzled._ _

__"What do you mean?"_ _

__"I mean, is that what _you_ wanna do? Be king an' all that. Or is that just what someone else told you to do."_ _

__Jonas pursed his lips, eyes focusing on the path again. He... hadn't really considered that. Huh.  
"I mean... No. It's really not." He shook his head. "I don't want to be in charge of so many people. It's... a lot."_ _

__Mitch snorted. "Yeah, no kiddin'."  
He shrugged, smiling down at the smaller man. "Listen, all I was tryin' to say is that maybe you oughtta think about yerself. Do things for you. Y'know?"_ _

__Jonas smiled, nodding. It was... surprisingly good advice.  
"Yeah... Yeah, you're right." He chuckled again. "I guess going on this journey was a step in the right direction. Doing something for myself. Thanks." _ _

__He smiled up at the taller man, and Mitch felt his stomach turn to mush again. _Christ._  
"Don't mention it." _ _

__

__What felt like hours had passed. Jonas sighed softly, stretching his arms. His legs were starting to ache; how far exactly had they gone now? This was a lot, especially with being cooped up in the castle for so long-_ _

"Hey, Spots, whaddya say we rest for a sec?" 

_Oh, thank the gods._ "Yes, please."  
He smiled up at Mitch, going to sit down, before blinking. What was that sound? 

__He stood up straight, looking up at him again, eyebrows drawing together.  
"Do you hear that?"_ _

__"Yeah, sounds like-" Mitch blinked. "It's a horse. Probably nothin' to worry about-"_ _

__The rider made their way into the clearing, and Jonas's stomach dropped as he recognized him._ _

__"Oh, no."_ _

__Mitch kept his eyes on the rider, glancing down at Jonas, instinctively moving in front of him. "You know this guy, Joey?"_ _

__The rider dropped down from the horse, lips curling into a nasty grin. His eyes were glinting with malice._ _

__"Aw, there you are, _/little prince/_. We've all been so worried." _ _

__He smirked, walking towards them. The metal of his armor glinted in the morning sun.  
"I mean really, what are you even _/doing/_ out here? Shouldn't you know better?"_ _

__Jonas frowned, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes. Of course. Of _/course/_. _ _

__"Why are you here, Neil?"_ _

__Neil rolled his eyes. "Again, you should know better. You know why I'm here, you know who sent me. Now just cooperate, run along and go on home, and let me take care of the _/trash/_. "_ _

__Jonas clenched his fists, red light flickering around them._ _

__"No."_ _

__Neil sneered, drawing his sword, eyes boring into his own.  
"Fine. You want to be difficult, have it your way." He grinned. "I'm sure I can weave a story about how this _/criminal/_ here roughed you up before I had a chance to get to you." _ _

__His eyes widened, and he felt Mitch get closer to him. Of course, the one time he does something rebellious, it's going to get him seriously hurt, or _/worse/_. Unbelievable.  
He clenched his fists, the lights dancing around them changing between red, green, and blue, eyes narrowing. Mitch had drawn a knife, teeth bared. Was this really it??_ _

__"Ay, ass hat. Aren't you supposed to _/protect/_ the people of your kingdom?"_ _

__Neil lowered his sword, eyes wide as he whipped around._ _

__"Who- Who do you think you are? Show yourself!"_ _

__The stranger laughed, still well hidden. Jonas _/knew/_ that laugh. He widened his eyes; no. It couldn't be. _ _

__"The better question is: who do you think _/you/_ are?" _ _

__Neil shrieked as an arrow planted itself between his feet, trying to get out of the way as another quickly followed._ _

__"That's right, you're no one."_ _

__A third arrow sank into a tree behind him, missing him by barely a half an inch._ _

__"Get the hell out of here. I won't miss again."_ _

__Neil quickly retreated back to his horse, hoisting himself up, scowling back at the two men._ _

__"Raincheck, little prince. Next time, there won't be anyone to save you."_ _

__Jonas smirked, and even though he was trembling, he still felt... brave.  
"I wouldn't be so sure about that."_ _

__They stood and watched as the knight retreated back into the forest, and Jonas finally exhaled. Goodness.  
His body had finally relaxed, before his head snapped up, eyes widening as the stranger from before stepped into the clearing. Her long, dark hair was drawn into a messy braid, with soft curls still framing her face. She was covered in the same freckles as Jonas. A pair of emerald green eyes pierced into his, and he felt his heart nearly leap out of his chest. _ _

__"Jonas Wagner, you better have a _/really/_ good explanation for being all the way out here." _ _

__Jonas sputtered, pointing a finger at the 'stranger'.  
"I could say the same for you!!"_ _

__Mitch frowned, looking between the two of them. How? The fuck?  
"You got a doppelganger or somethin', Spots?"_ _

__Jonas turned, looking up at him, before motioning to the woman._ _

__"Mitch, meet my sister."_ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ENTER SIDNEY!!!  
> I was excited for this chapter solely because I get to finally write about her, the light of my life.  
> She's a rogue in this AU!
> 
> again, please leave kudos or comment if you enjoyed!! thank you!!

**Author's Note:**

> Also I just. Literally did not have a better title for this fic so,, I hit shuffle a million times and pulled a line from a song.  
> The one i came to was Human Touch by Betty Who.


End file.
